Rued Langgaard: Early Recordings 1957-1981

Review: Fanfare 2025-09 Review: FonoForum Review: MusicWebInternational Rued Langgaard CD 1 Symphony no. 4 (in one movement) “Leaf Fall” [BVN 124] (1916, rev. 1920) 1. Desperate Forest Rustling 2. Shaft of Sunlight 3. Thunder 4. Autumnal 5. Tired 6. Despair 7. Sunday Morning Bells 8. Over! Symphony no. 6 (in one movement) “The Heaven-Rending” [BVN 165] (1919-20, rev. 1928-30) 9. Thema (Versione I) 10. Thema (Versione II) 11. Var. I (Introduzione) 12. Var. II (Fuga) 13. Var. III (Toccata) 14. Var. IV (Sonata) 15. Var. V (Coda) Symphony no. 16 “Deluge of Sun” [BVN 417] (1950-51) 16. I. Allegro 17. II. Scherzo 18. III. Punishment Dance 19. IV. Elegy 20. V. Finale CD 2 Drapa (On the Death of Edvard Grieg) [BVN 20] (1907, rev. 1909) 1. Andante maestoso (l’istesso tempo sempre) Hvidbjerg-Drapa [BVN 343] (1948) 2. Madly fast – Faster and Faster – Furiously fast – Presto frenetico – More slowly Concert in one movement for violin and orchestra [BVN 289] (1943-44) 3. Allegro vivace – Cadenza espressiva – Animato – Finale: Scherzoso Suite of the music from the play “En Digters Drøm” (“A Poet’s Dream”) [BVN 181] (1924-26) 4. Ouverture (Romanza) 5. Nocturne 6. Mattinata 7. Butterfly Dance 8. Flower Music 9. Idyl 10. Prelude to Scene 9 Interdict [BVN 335] (1947-48) 11. I. Introduction. Furious 12. II. Fiercely moved – Slowly – Fiercely moved The Music of the Spheres [BVN 128] (1916-18) 13. Wie Sonnenstrahlen auf einem mit duftenden Blumen bedeckten Sarg 14. Wie Sternenschimmer an einem bläulichen Himmel beim Sonnenuntergang 15. Wie Licht und Abgrund 16. Wie die Brechung der Sonnenstrahlen in den Wellen 17. Wie Tauperle schimmert in der Sonne an einem schönen Sommermorgen 18. Sehnsucht – Verzweiflung – Extase 19. Weltseele – Abgrund – Allerseelen 20. Ich will – ! 21. Chaos – – – Ruin – – fern und nah – 22. Blumen welken – – 23. Blick durch Tränen auf die Sonne – – – 24. Glockenreigen: Siehe, er kommt – – – 25. Blumenevangelium – aus weiter Ferne 26. Der neue Tag – – 27. Das Ende: Antichrist – Christ. – – – Danmarks Radio and the “Rued Langgaard renaissance” © During the 1950s, after Langgaard had died and Launy Grøndahl had retired, Langgaard’s music disappeared from the radio programmes. The oldest recordings preserved in DR’s archive are Drapa with Grøndahl from 1957 (CD2) and Hvidbjerg-Drapa with Ernst Hye- Knudsen from 1958 (CD2). Both are of special interest because Grøndahl performed Drapa six times with the symphony orchestra during the composer’s lifetime, and Hvidbjerg- Drapa had been premiered with the same cast in 1950, two years before Langgaard’s death. These are therefore historical recordings with authenticity. As an isolated occurrence, DR produced Symphony no. 6 in 1961 with Martellius Lundquist (CD1). But the situation changed in the mid-1960s. Prompted by the renewed, international interest in Mahler and Bruckner, DR realized that they should probably take a closer look at the completely neglected Danish ‘late romantic’ composer Langgaard. His widow, Constance, who lived until 1969, constantly pushed for her husband’s rehabilitation. RELEASE DATE: FEBRUARY 2025 CATALOGUE NUMBER: DACOCD 976 EAN: 5709499976005 Download BOOKLET (PDF) Related